COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown announced his endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday as she looks to lock up the Democratic nomination after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race.
Biden’s decision to end his bid for reelection came weeks after a disastrous debate with Donald Trump that raised doubts about the incumbent's fitness for office. The unprecedented announcement, delivered less than four months before the election, immediately upended a campaign that both political parties view as the most consequential in generations.
Brown joined dozens of other national political figures last week in urging Biden to withdraw from the race. He said in a statement last week that he agrees with “the many Ohioans” who have reached out to him.
He added that focusing on important issues such as protecting Social Security and Medicare from cuts and preventing the ongoing efforts to impose a national abortion ban are issues that he will keep fighting for.
Shortly after Biden’s announcement, Brown thanked him for his service.
A spokesperson for Brown confirmed to 10TV that he is supporting Harris.
Harris, whom Biden backed after ending his candidacy, is thus far the only declared candidate and was working to quickly secure endorsements from a majority of delegates.
Additional endorsements Monday, including from Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, left a dwindling list of potential rivals to Harris. Sen. Joe Manchin, the West Virginia Democrat-turned-independent, told CBS on Monday that he will not be running for the Democratic nomination against Harris.
Winning the nomination is only the first item on a staggering political to-do list for her after Biden's decision to exit the race. If she's successful at locking up the nomination, she must also pick a running mate and pivot a massive political operation to boost her candidacy instead of Biden's with just over 100 days until Election Day.
On Sunday afternoon, Biden’s campaign formally changed its name to "Harris for President," reflecting that she is inheriting his political operation of more than 1,000 staffers and a war chest that stood at nearly $96 million at the end of June. It got bigger by Monday morning: Campaign spokesperson Lauren Hitt said Harris had raised $49.6 million in donations in the first 15 hours after Biden’s endorsement.
Speaking to party leaders, Harris expressed gratitude for Biden's endorsement but insisted she was looking to earn the nomination in her own right, the person said.